Dawn Xiana Moon: Melodic folk pop infused with passion and honesty. From Chicago.

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Thursday, August 25, 2005

Destination Two: Minneapolis

It's my last night in Minneapolis and though the time was short, it's been delightful. When Emily and I were going to college, much of our hangout time consisted of exploring the chocolate options in Ann Arbor; we continued our investigations when we became roommates, because somehow even though we lived in the same apartment we didn't actually see each other very often. It probably didn't help that I was (ahem, still am somewhat) nocturnal and she was up around 6:00am every morning for work. It's been three years since she got married to Dave and moved to Minneapolis, but yesterday Emily and I continued our tradition of chocolate exploration and indulged ourselves at Just Truffles, a tiny chocolate shop that has been featured on Oprah and the Food Network and is beloved of Pavarotti and Yo-Yo Ma. The expensive ($3.75 apiece) Just Chocolate and Bailey's truffles we tried were delicious. (Actually, that reminds me of the time we ate a cheap dinner of falafels and then went to a fancy dessert-restaurant-and-cigar-bar and split one piece of flourless chocolate cake that cost more than both our dinners combined. Mmmmm. It was worth every bit of the $8.00 a slice, though I haven't gone there since.)

Earlier that day we visited the Como Park Zoo with its neurotic polar bears--and I kid you not, they really are crazy, probably due to prolonged captivity in a small, concrete space. Emily's seen them ten times now, and every time one of the bears is prowling around on the lower section of the exhibit, pacing endlessly, and the other is in the pool in the upper section of the exhibit, pulling himself out of the water just enough to dive back in, swimming, and then repeating the cycle. She wasn't the only one who's noticed this phenomenon; we overheard at least two other visitors talking about how the bears never interact and are always in the same places doing the same things. As she says, it's a song waiting to happen.

That night we went swing dancing--yes, even Dave and Emily, since there was a short lesson--at the Minnesota History Center; Vic Volare (a Sinatraesque crooner) and his band were playing to a large audience sprawled on the lawn and concrete. (I'd asked some Minnesota dancers beforehand where I could find lindy while I was in town; unfortunately I won't be around for their regular dance night.) The weather was beautiful and the skyline of St. Paul, especially when the sun began to set, provided a picturesque backdrop for the night. I love how you can go to just about any mid-sized city in the country and find lindy hoppers, who are generally friendly, fun people.

Tonight I played at the Acadia Café--and let me tell you, the venue is wonderful. They provide a soundman (thanks Peter, and sorry for mixing up your name!) and a real stage, spotlights, everything. For its size, this is rare. Ted, the booker, is also great to work with, and the place is an interesting mix of theatre, wood floors, brick, café, and pub (they have a slew of beers on tap, even though the overall feel is coffeehouse rather than bar). The next time I make it out to Minneapolis, I'll have to play there again. Amaryah and Jenny Dalton, two local singer-songwriters, also played sets, and it was great to finally meet them in person after coordinating everything via email and Myspace.

Tomorrow will see me in Oshkosh and then back to Chicago (actually, Evanston) with almost nine hours of driving. And I should mention that all the driving with the manual doesn't just consist of stalling at inopportune times--I've also done quite well at points, once managing to parallel park perfectly in a tight spot without any trouble. It's been an incredible trip so far, not least because I've been able to spend three days with Dave and Emily, the most time we've spent together in years. (Funny story: Dave was at the show early helping me carry equipment and ended up volunteering to run the door--Ted asked if he was my boyfriend and I had to laugh, responding, "Actually, he's married to my friend over there.")

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